NBADraft.net - Comments for "Best player in tha NBA who has yet to make an allstar team"http://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814
Comments for "Best player in tha NBA who has yet to make an allstar team"enMike Bibbyhttp://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814#comment-62529
<p>Mike Bibby</p>
Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:45:55 +0000Tobe Bryantcomment 62529 at http://www.nbadraft.netd-will KDhttp://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814#comment-62208
<p>D-WILL KD</p>
Sat, 01 Aug 2009 17:11:47 +0000FrankBlackBoicomment 62208 at http://www.nbadraft.netCrazy to think abouthttp://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814#comment-62149
<p>answer to the topic....DERON WILLIAMS, hands down with Durant right behind him</p>
<p>but think about all these random guys who been all stars over the years...</p>
<p>Chris Gatling<br />
Jayson WIlliams<br />
Wally Szerbiak<br />
Christian Laettner<br />
BJ Armstrong<br />
Charles Oakley<br />
Jamal Magloire<br />
Sean Elliot<br />
Tyrone Hill<br />
Dale Davis<br />
Theo Ratliff<br />
Anthony Mason<br />
Mehmet Okur</p>
<p>thats real crazy to me and to think about but i found this article on espn.com<br />
You know the All-Star starters. You know the All-Star subs.</p>
<p>You, then, are ready for the East and West editions of our All-Harper Team, which honors the best active players who have never made it to the All-Star Game and is named in tribute to two Stein Line favorites who were snubbed throughout their careers: Derek Harper and Ron Harper.</p>
<p>Eligibility for the Harpers is restricted to active players who have never made an All-Star roster and have at least three full seasons of experience. That's the cutoff because it's too early to start throwing around the "S" word when we're talking about rookies (Derrick Rose), sophomores (Kevin Durant) or even the best third-year All-Star aspirants (Rajon Rondo and Paul Millsap).</p>
<p>EASTERN CONFERENCE</p>
<p>Forwards: Tayshaun Prince (Detroit) and Hedo Turkoglu (Orlando)<br />
Their games are totally different, but these two have tons in common. In the Pistons' recent heyday, when they were an annual threat to send three representatives to the All-Star Game, Prince was always the fourth Piston who got squeezed by Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace. Now it's happening to Turkoglu in Orlando. Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson are going to Phoenix next month, even though we're fairly sure Magic coach Stan Van Gundy would tell you that he asks Hedo to do more than any of them.<br />
Prince's problem, of course, is that he's known for his versatility and sticky D, which are priceless qualities in day-to-day NBA life but not exactly appreciated at All-Star time. Turkoglu, meanwhile, has been overlooked for a second straight season even though his fearlessness and ability to make all sorts of shots and plays would undoubtedly look good in an All-Star setting.</p>
<p>There's a reason Prince is likely to be the last Piston standing in Detroit from the team that went to six consecutive Eastern Conference finals … and why the greatest fear in the Magic Kingdom is not matching up with Boston and Orlando but figuring out how to afford re-signing Turkoglu this summer, given all the money Orlando has invested in Howard, Lewis and Nelson. The reason: Prince and Turkoglu are certifiable cornerstones of their respective teams.</p>
<p>With or without All-Star status.</p>
<p>Center: Emeka Okafor (Charlotte)<br />
Fond as we are of David Lee -- whom we all know is a power forward masquerading as a center anyway -- Okafor is the slam-dunk choice here.<br />
Free throws aside, Okafor's offense has picked up noticeably since the December arrival of set-up man Boris Diaw, supplementing the rebounding and shot-blocking that nobody questions. There's a bonus, too: Okafor is quietly hushing the doubts about his durability, having appeared in 141 consecutive games entering Friday's play.</p>
<p>Add it all up and Okafor is as close to the All-Star stratosphere as he's ever been, benefiting from Larry Brown's influence as much as anyone's in Charlotte.</p>
<p>Guards: Mo Williams (Cleveland) and Mike Bibby (Atlanta)<br />
It's no secret that we wanted Williams on the current East squad because of the difference he's made all over the floor in Cleveland in spite of his less-than-flashy stats. Yet instead of repeating all that, we're just going to give the floor to LeBron James, who says it better than we could: "They always say when you win, individual accolades will take care of [themselves]. But sometimes it doesn't happen. We all believe that Mo's an All-Star and the reason we've had the best record in the NBA right now. … Just look at the wins and losses from last year to this year with really only one addition: Mo Williams."</p>
<p>As for Bibby, well, if he hasn't made an All-Star team by now it'll probably never happen. He was the Tay Prince of his day in Sacramento -- perennially fourth on the Kings' list of attention-getters behind Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Vlade Divac -- and really hasn't been sufficiently recognized for how much he's helped Joe Johnson in Atlanta. Philadelphia's Andre Miller is another veteran QB still waiting for his first All-Star invite, but no active player has racked up more All-Star frustration than Bibby.</p>
<p>Sixth man: Andre Iguodala (Philadelphia) and Josh Smith (Atlanta)<br />
I tried choosing between them. But I couldn't.<br />
So allow me to get away with one and submit two sixth men.</p>
<p>Neither of these 2004 draftees can claim they've been blatantly snubbed yet -- like veteran snubbee Richard Jefferson and the other five guys on the East Harpers -- but they are both blossoming two-way players who have increasingly shown All-Star potential as well as an unquestioned capacity to entertain us above the rim. That's why we couldn't resist sneaking Iguodala and Smith in together, although Milwaukee's Jefferson also could have snagged this spot.</p>
<p>WESTERN CONFERENCE</p>
<p>Forwards: Al Jefferson (Minnesota) and Stephen Jackson (Golden State)<br />
We get a lot of chat questions and e-mails asking why we're never as hard on the Wolves for what they got back in the Kevin Garnett trade as we are on Memphis for what the Grizzlies took back for Pau Gasol. And we've pretty much stopped answering those questions, because it should be pretty obvious by now. Seriously, people: Did the Grizz get anyone in the Pau deal remotely capable of doing the damage Big Al does?<br />
Jefferson didn't make this All-Star team, but he's not going to be eligible for future editions of the Harpers no matter how much you want to dock him for his defensive shortcomings. He's one of only three 20-and-10 guys in the league at the minute, while also ranking as the most feared back-to-the-basket scorer in the game now that Tim Duncan is more of a face-up kind of killer. So you have to believe that Big Al -- after all the publicity that came with this season's near-miss -- will be an All-Star next February … assuming next season's Wolves don't start 6-25 and that he won't have to compete with such a strong sentimental push to get Shaquille O'Neal on the West squad.</p>
<p>I'm guessing you also won't be surprised to hear that we find Jackson -- one of our all-time faves -- almost as irresistible, even though Captain Jack's actual All-Star window might well have passed with his 31st birthday approaching in April. He certainly won't be setting any efficiency records with the Dubs if he stays there for the duration of his recent contract extension, but that's something we tolerate more than most, having years of exposure to the kind of clutch shot-maker/defender/winner Jackson can be when he's at his peak.</p>
<p>Center: Marcus Camby<br />
Amazing, isn't it?<br />
Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamaal Magloire, Brad Miller, Theo Ratliff and Dale Davis have been All-Star centers this century.</p>
<p>Marcus Camby, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-07 and currently the league's No. 2 rebounder and shot-blocker behind Dwight Howard, has not.</p>
<p>Camby is a frustrating 0-for-13 in his attempts to finally reach the All-Star stage, but he acknowledged recently that he had no illusions about a breakthrough in his not-so-lucky 13th season thanks to the injury-riddled Clippers' 10-35 record entering Friday's games.</p>
<p>The good news? It might not be too late for Camby, who's in greater demand at nearly 35 than he's ever been. He should have a prominent role in Clipperland (or wherever he goes) for the next few years as long as his health cooperates.</p>
<p>(We also feel a duty, as a fellow lefty, to at least mention Camby's teammate Zach Randolph in this section, although we concede that the much-maligned Randolph would probably have to be a 30-and-15 guy -- with his team on pace for at least 50 wins -- to get the coaches to end his All-Star drought.)</p>
<p>Guards: Deron Williams (Utah) and Kevin Martin (Sacramento)<br />
These picks obviously need the least elaboration, since we're talking about two bona fide sensations.<br />
With or without applying our aforementioned mandate that Harpers candidates must have at least three full seasons of experience, D-Will is the runaway choice for the best player on this list. It's not much consolation, obviously, but he's clearly the best player in the game who has never been named as an All-Star. Which could force David Stern to make an interesting choice -- D-Will or Carmelo Anthony -- if an injury in the West creates a roster opening for a commissioner's pick.</p>
<p>Martin isn't quite at that level, but he's another young Harper who'll be off this list sooner rather than later. This season, realistically, was the ultra-efficient swingman's first legit crack at a West reserve spot, but an ankle injury that cost him 22 games and the Kings' own eyesore of a record (10-37) ruled him out.</p>
<p>Sixth man: Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers) and Jason Terry (Dallas)<br />
It's only right to keep things even, so we're going with a two-man tie for the final West spot as well, which seems doubly appropriate when you remember both of the sixth men in question have made a full-time transition to that role this season for the first time in their pro careers.</p>
<p>Odom has undeniable All-Star talent and a flair-filled floor game uncommon for players his size, which makes him perfect for this occasion. This is already his 10th season, but you figure he'll be challenging again for his All-Star breakthrough starting next season, based on the growing assumption in Lakerland that Odom -- who's going nowhere in the short term because of his knowledge of L.A.'s system and his ability to step in immediately for either Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum -- will be signing elsewhere in the summer as an unrestricted free agent.</p>
<p>Terry did attract long-shot consideration from the coaches for the current West squad, leading all reserves in scoring with a career-best 20.3 points per game, but the 31-year-old's most likely payoff at this point with Dallas in a state of transition is the Sixth Man Award he's favored to win.</p>
<p>Next in line for us here is Phoenix's Jason Richardson, who only narrowly misses out thanks to his long-held status as a prolific scorer and his presence on another list in All-Star lore: Richardson, Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and Harold Miner are the only two-time champions of the dunk contest.</p>
<p>Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com.</p>
Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:25:28 +0000adjose5comment 62149 at http://www.nbadraft.netDWill & Durant. Alsohttp://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814#comment-62078
<p>DWill &amp; Durant. Also interesting fact you mentioned about Camby, kinda weak Magloire's been an All-Star and Camby hasn't. Camby has won defensive player of the year, yet he wasn't All-Star worthy?</p>
Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:02:36 +0000Muggsycomment 62078 at http://www.nbadraft.netkevin martin and kevinhttp://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814#comment-61762
<p>kevin martin and kevin durant</p>
Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:37:23 +0000rickyD510comment 61762 at http://www.nbadraft.netDERONhttp://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814#comment-62030
<p>Deron Williams has gotta be recognized as an All-Star right now... I mean in the first place he should have been a 2 time All-Star right now, but I know the time will come when all the Kidds, the Nash and Iversons will retire, I am 100% certain that he will be the one to replace them in the rosters.</p>
<p>Kevin Durant has definitely improved his game... He should also have a shot at an All-Star in the future...</p>
Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:09:20 +0000marcusfizer21comment 62030 at http://www.nbadraft.netno contesthttp://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814#comment-61957
<p>Deron Williams is the player and thats it. Kevin Durant should have made it this year but as far as a player who has been robbed of being on that team its def dwill. I would have also said al jefferson if he hadnt of gotten hurt. Jefferson may have been 1 of the best big men in the west</p>
Sat, 01 Aug 2009 03:28:39 +0000bluedevils12comment 61957 at http://www.nbadraft.netNo he should not be ahttp://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814#comment-61897
<p>No he should not be a All-Star</p>
Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:06:45 +0000Knicksboy34comment 61897 at http://www.nbadraft.netWAIT WAIT WAIT!!!!http://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814#comment-61892
<p>I THINK WE ARE ALL FORGETTING ABOUT MY BOY JAMAL CRAWFORD..HE SHOULD BE A ALLSTAR...RIGHT?? I THINK SO</p>
Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:57:52 +0000dipsetdippincomment 61892 at http://www.nbadraft.netAgree with many of othershttp://www.nbadraft.net/node/10814#comment-61859
<p>Agree with many of others but forgotten mention of Ben Gordon.</p>
Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:22:22 +0000dwat4444comment 61859 at http://www.nbadraft.net